…BERTHA REMAINS DISORGANIZED AS SHE APPROACHES TURKS AND CAICOS AND THE SE BAHAMAS
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 24 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS IN THIS CASE WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 2:00 AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 70.5 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT, 95 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, 179 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA AND 544 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.
BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 21 MILES PER HOUR. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY, TAKING BERTHA NEAR OR OVER THE SE BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY THIS AFTERNOON, AND MOVE EAST OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS LATE TONIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TODAY. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE ON MONDAY.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.
ON THE FORECASTED TRACK AND SPEED BERTHA WILL BE OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND INAGUA BY EARLY MORNING. THEREFORE RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD RUSH TO MAKE FINAL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTIES, AND BOATERS ARE ASKED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR.
BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00 AM SUNDAY.
